IUOE News December 2014

We need to organize,
and identify unfair
and shady practices
Don Swerdan,
Business Representative
What a year! Even as this year comes to a close, there remains
a number of sets of negotiations that continue.
B.F.I. Island
During this set of negotiations, I have been assisting Brothers
Curtis Harold, Bob McLean, Steve Lawson, Wade Foster and
Trevor Smith. The crew recently rejected the Employer’s last
proposal and Brother Harold has
been in contact with the Company
and is in the process of setting up
meetings to resume negotiations.
The issues remaining are primarily
monetary and the Company has
identified their biggest hurdle as
being that of the competition. “The playing field is not level
and the competition continues to eat our lunch” the Company
has stated on more than one occasion.
We as members know these non-union players in this area
and we need to get out there and organize these Companies,
get these deserving employees under a Collective Agreement
and bring their working conditions and safety standards to
where they should be. This will only happen with the help of
our membership and their commitment to constant and
continued communication with these people.
All this being stated, we will be meeting with the Company
soon and there is no doubt that we will be having a ratification
vote in the very near future.
These “fly by nighters” are
decimating this industry by quoting
substantially reduced pricing and
providing inferior service.
Hiway Refrigeration
These negotiations have just started and the Company has
come out of the gate with dialogue on the competition and
how they are undercutting and “bastardizing” the industry.
There are “Companies” (one and two man operations) that
are essentially working out of their vehicles, motel rooms and
in one case out of a shipping container in the Lower Mainland!
As you probably figured out, quite a number of these “fly
by nighters” are neither from here nor do they have any roots
here.
These “fly by nighters” are decimating this industry by
quoting substantially reduced pricing and providing inferior
service. They‘ll only remain in B.C. long enough to pull whatever
money that they can out of our economy and leave at a
District One
moment’s notice, leaving the industry and our accredited
service providers to repair the carnage and damage caused
(no pun intended). Again, as with B.F.I., we as members have
a responsibility to find and identify these “companies” and
their employees. We cannot relent in this pursuit.
Rempel Bros. Concrete
We have just commenced bargaining and the Parties have
exchanged their respective proposals. The crew’s expectations
are that there will be a “leveling of the playing field” but, in
this case, to their advantage.
When looking at the industry and Lehigh’s other operations,
it is clear that the crew is absolutely correct that their
wage package is less than a number of others. Even though the
negotiating committee has not heard this from the Company,
yet, there are a number of non-union haulers in the Valley
that are wreaking havoc with the pricing in the Industry.
Again, not to sound like a broken record,
we need to organize these haulers with the
help of our membership to ensure we
continue to make the gains our members
deserve.
Negotiation dates have been set for
November and December 2014.
Urban Wood Waste
Negotiations have concluded and we were successful in ratifying
a first Collective Agreement for these soon-to-be members.
Welcome to the 60 new members employed by Urban!
Special thanks go out to Urban Shop Stewards Steve Farrell
and Ted Thomas as they proved to be an invaluable resource
during the course of collective bargaining.
In closing, I want to wish all members and their families a
safe and happy Holiday Season and Happy New Year.
Jack Cewe Crew, paving Kingsway and Coast Meridian in Port
Coquitlam. L to R - Angie Herod, Frank Zecca, Sergio Gallina,
Darren Hudson, Amadeus Bevlivaqua, Matt Scardillo, Leo
“Paqualle” Baldinero. Bottom - Cyrus Salehi
News December 2014 5